Apparatus for handling forgings.



No. 655,7I9 Patented Aug. I4, |900.

J LANZ APPARATUS FII HANDLING FURGINGS. (Application led. Feb. 25, 1899.Renewed July 9, 1900.)

(No Model.)

' Patented Aug. I4, 1900.A

J. LANZ.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FURGINGS.

(Afrp'caton filed Feb. 25, 1899. Renewed July 9, 1990.) (No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 2` mz gums mns co. vuomimm, msnmuron, n4 p.

Patented Aug. I4, i900.

No. 655,7I9.

J. LANZ.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FORGINGS. (Application tiled Feb. 25, 1899.Renewed July 9, 1900.)

(Nn Model.) l 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Patented A'ug. I4, |900.

J. LANZ. APPARATUS'FOR HANDLING FORGINGS.

(Application led Feb. 25, 1899. Renewed July 9, i900.)

(No Model.)

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THE NDRRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITRO.. WASHINGTON, D. CV

JonN LANZ, on rr'rrsnune, rnNNsYLvANIA.V

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FoRGlNes.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent N0. 655,719, dated August14, 190C. Application filed February Z5, 1899. Renewed July 9, 1900.Serial No. 23,042. iNo model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN LANZ, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Handling Forgings; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for handling forgings, axles, tbc.

In an application filed by me onthe Zth day lof April, 1897, Serial No.633,631, there is set forth a method of forging or swaging in which ahot bar of metal is squeezed or compressed on two of its opposite sidesinto blank sections and a swell or protuberance produced on its freesides, said bar being then rolled to reduce said swells orprotuberances, and finally cutting and finishing the blank sections tothe desired form. rlhe above method is applicable to the manufacture ofaxles, connecting-rods, armor-plate bolts, and other forgings, and thepresent invention relates to apparatus for handling the hot axles orother forgings after the blanks have been formed in this manner.

The object of my invention is to provide a form of apparatus by means ofwhich the axle-blanks when fed thereto are grasped and acted on by theapparatus without the use of cranes, tongs, tbc., further making thehandling easier and more rapid on the part of the operator,anddischarged from the machine in finished forging.

My invention comprises, generally stated, suitable forming or squeezingdies adapted to act on two axles at the same time, one axle by the firstoperation of the dies being forged for the greater portion of its lengthand the other axle being forged for the opposite greater portion of itslength, and means for transferring the axleforgings so that when thedies are again operated said partly-form ed axles will have exchangedpositions and the portions not finished 4by the first operation willbeproperly acted on and finished.

To enable others skilled in the ar-t to make and use my invention, Iwill describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedapparatus. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.` Fig. 3 is a plan view, partlyin section. Fig. l1 is a detail view of one of the clamping-arms. Figs.5 is a longitudinal section of the device for throwing the clampingarmsinto engage ment with the ends of the blank. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionon the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the means forbringing the clamping device into the proper position for grasping theblanks. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the gage or stop regulating thedistance to which the blank may be moved in feeding it to the apparatus.Fig. 9 is a View, partly in section, of the shears for cutting blanksand stamping notches in the ends thereof. Fig. 10 is a front View ofsame. Fig. 1l is a plan view of the axle-blank. Fig. 12 is a side View,partly in section. Fig. 13 is a view of the nished axle. Figs. 14c and15 are views ofa partly-finished blank.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

The numeral 5 designates a suitable bed for the hydraulic press, whichcarries the stationary die or anvil 6, above which is arranged, inproper alinement therewith, the movable die 7, held by the die-head 8,which is carried by the guides 9, moving in guideways 10 in the bed 5.These guides extend through the bed and are connected to the cross-head1l, which is forced downward by means of the plunger 12, moving in thehydraulic cylinder l3,which is formed in and made part of the bed 5.

The movable die 7 is raised by means of two smaller cylinders, onel ofwhich is shown in Fig. 1 and designated by the numeral 14.. Thepiston-rod l5, acting in this cylinder, lifts the cross-head ll by meansof the connecting- "links 16, which are connected to the shaft 17 at theupper end of the piston-rod 15. The dies 6 and 7 are so arranged thattwo axles may be operated upon at the same time with one stroke, thedie-seat 18 acting upon one end and a greater portion ofthe length oftheaxle-blank, while the die-seat 19 at the same time is acting upon theopposite portion of another axle-blank, the axles being completed bytransferring the axle-forging from die-seat 18 to die-seat- 19 and thatfrom die-seat 19 to 18 in the manner hereinafter set forth. The blankfrom which the axle is to be formed is IOO y the hollow shaft or motivecylinder 24, which shaft is supported on rollers 25, which have theirbearings on the hangers 26, said hangers being pivotally connected at 27to the frame of the machine and provided with the weights 26a, which actto counterbalance said hangers and hold arms at rest or make pivotscenter of gravity. As there are two sets of arms 22 acting at the sametime independently upon two different axles, I will only proceed todescribe one of them, as each set is alike and is operated in the samemanner. The arms 22 are also supported at about their centers by thehanger 28, which is secured to the end of the lever 29. The hangers 2Gand 2S are made of such proportional length that when said hangers swingin the handling of the forging said forging will move substantially in ahorizontal plane, or the forging will even be in a lower position whenthe hangers are at an angle to their vertical position than when intheir vertical position. By-this arrangement the forging will remain atthe position it has been swung to by the hangers. This lever 29 isfulcrumed at 30, the opposite end of this lever being connected to thepiston-rod 3l of the steam or hydraulic cylinder 32. The hanger 28isconnected to the arm 22 by means of the clevis 33 and is also connectedto the lever 29 by the elevis 34. This is for the purpose o-f givingitsubstantially universal movement.

The hollow shaft 24, heretofore referred to, to lwhich the arms 22 areattached, is formed in two parts, one of said parts being enlarged nearthe center of the machine to form the hydraulic cylinder 35, the otherpart forming a piston-head 36, which is splined and operates within saidcylinder 35. The outer ends of these hollow shafts 24 are connected bysuitable hose or other fiexible connections to a valve, (not shown,)through which the fluid is admitted to operate said cylinder 35 and' ofthe laxle-blanks, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

When it is desired to lift the blanks from the rollers 2O to place themin the die-seats, the arms 22 are swung backward by the operator untilthe lugs 39 come into alinement with the notches or indentations in theends of said axle-blanks, and the arms are then drawn together by meansof hydraulic pressure in the cylinder 35, so that the lugs 39 enter intosaid notches or depressions in the ends of the axle-blanks, and thefaces 40 of the shanks 38 grip the blanks firmly between them. Thecylinder 32 is then operated to lift the hanger through the lever 29,and the axle-blank is thus lifted above the plane of the anvil 6 and isswung over one of the dieseats by the hand of the operator, when thepressure in the cylinder 32 is released and the blank is allowed to dropinto the die-seat. In the same manner a blank is placed in the otherdie-seat by means of the other set of arms.

In the operationl of forging the axle it is necessary to turn theblankafter each stroke or succession of strokes in order to forge theproper rotundity on the axle, and to accomplish this so same can be doneeasily by the operator the shaft 38 is mounted in its bearings 37 bymeans of the antifriction balls or rollers 4l. The shaft 38 is engagedat its outerend,formingashoulder33. Th'isshoulder acts as a cone, whichbears against the balls 4l and is held in place by means of the jam-nuts42. The handle-bar 44 has a square eye in the center thereof, adapted toengage with the square end of this shaft, and said bar is grasped by theoperator when he desires to turn the blank.

As it is necessary to employ 'two arms to pick up each. axle-blank andas it requires but one operator for each blank, it is necessary to havethe lugs 39 at the opposite end of the machine from where the operatorstands come into proper alinement with the indentations in theaxle-blank automatically. To accomplish this, the outer end of'the shaft38 has a flattened oblong lug 45 with curved faces, against which thespring 46 is compressed, so that this shaft will be automatically turnedinto proper position for grasping another blank immediately after thecompleted axle has been released therefrom.

When the axle-blank is run in upon the rollers 20, it is necessary toprovide a stop to prevent-it from going too far. To provide for this, aweighted arm 47 is pivoted to the anvil G at 48. This arm is forced downout of the way by contacting with the outer end of the shaft 38 when itcomes into position to drop the finished axle. When a new blank has beenreceived by the carrying device and has been lifted to the dies, thisarm is raised into proper position by means of the weight 49, so that ablank coming in upon the rollers 2O will not go beyond the properposition.

I have referred to notches or depressions in the ends of the axle-blank,with which the lugs 39 on the ends of the shafts 38 ofthe arms 22 areadapted to engage, and I will now describe how these notches ordepressions are formed. It is preferred to make the axle- IOO IIO

blanks in long lengths, so that a number may be formed from onecontinuous bar in the manner set forth in my application for patenthereinbefore, referred to. Where the method involved in that applicationis followed, the blank when cut will have the shape represented in Figs.11 and 12, the top and bottom of said blank being flat. The bar fromwhich the blanks are to be cutis carried under the upper shear-knife,resting upon the lower bed U. The crop end formed in the squeezers,giving to the blank its proper shape, is first sheared from the bar, andwhen this crop end is sheared off the upper knife T in shearing saidcrop end descends far enough to stamp the die or punch T into the upperface of the end of the bar, while the punch U3 on the lower knife isstamped into the lower face of the bar to form an indentation therein.This is caused by the force of the descent of the upper die with the barresting upon the punch U3. In this manner in cutting off the crop endindentations 'i6 are formed at the end of said bar upon its upper andlower faces. The crop end having been sheared off and the indentationsformed as described, the bar is then fed into the shears the length ofthe blank section, whereupon said upper knife T again descends, and inits stroke the blank sheared off is forced by said upper knife T downonto the punch U2. The pressure of the upper knife in cutting off forcesor stamps the punch into the axle-blank to form an indentation on itslower face, while the projection T2 of the knife T stamps an indentationon the upper face. In this manner the axle-blank is provided at each endwith the indentations i6. In cutting off this blank from the bar likeindentations are formed, in the manner hereinbefore described, on theend of the bar which is to form the next axle-blank. As the axle-blanksare cut from the bar they are carried away and introduced into asuitable continuous heating-furnace in order to retain their temperaturein case of delay or to raise them to the proper temperature for bringingthem to their finished shape. The blanks when properly heated are thenfed by a suitable apparatus to the rollers 20, said axles beingdeposited within the angular grooves 2l of said rollers. These rollersthus support the axleblanks at an oblique angle. The blanks are carriedonto said rollers until their forward ends strike the stops 47. Theswinging arms 22 are then swung back in position to bring the shafts 38in alinement with the axle-blanks, so that the lugs 39 on the ends ofsaid shafts can enter the indentations s formed in the ends of theaxle-blanks. The lowering of the arms 22 to effect this result willforce the stops 47 out of the way in order to permit the lugs 39 on theends of the shafts 38 adjacent thereto to engage with the indentationson the inner ends of said blanks. This move- Yment of the arms iseffected by suitable levers which operate the pistonsin the cylinders32. The lugs39 on the shafts 38 having been brought into coincidencewith the indentations of theaxle-blanks, the front and rear shafts ormotiveA cylinders 38 of the arms 22 are then moved toward each other, soas to bring the lugs 39 into engagement with said indentations. This isaccomplished by admitting water or steam to the cylinder 35, whereuponthe hollow shaft 24 recedes within said cylinder 35 far enough to forcethe lugs 39 into the indentations in the ends of the axle-blank andholds the same securely therein. The axle blanks having been grasped inthis manner by the arms 22, said arms are then swung over in such aposition as to lower the axle-blanks into the die-seats 18 and 19, saidblanks being placed in said grooves edgewise. The movable die 7 is thenoperated to move down and up several strokes, that the greater part ofthe axleblank in the die-seat 18 may be acted on so as to forge thatportion of the axle-blank so acted on by the dies toiinished shape,while the die-seat 19 acts upon the greater portion of the otheraxle-blank in the same manner. As the axles when forged have certainoifsets or shoulders, itis obvious that if it was attempted to forge theaxle for its entire length in the die the contraction of the axle incooling between dies during contact within the die would prevent itswithdrawal therefrom, as the shoulders would act to lock the axlewit-hin the die-seat. While the axleblanks are in the dies, said blanksare turned by means of the handle-bar 44 in the end of the shaft 38. Anoperator stands at each end of the machine, and in this way eachaxle-blank is turned. By turning the handle-bar 44 the axle is broughtinto different positions of advantage within the dies in order to beproperly forged. By this operation two axle-blanks have been shaped forthe greater part of their length; but it is necessary now to forge theportion not nished by the above operation, which is done in thefollowing manner:`After the axle blanks have been shaped for the greaterpart of their length the blank in the die 18 is swung or carried to thedie-seat 19 and the blank in the die-seat 19 exchanged to the die-seat18. This is accomplished by swinging the arms 22 in such positions as toeffect this result, whereupon the foregoing operation is again repeateduntil the ends of the axle-blanks not iinished by the first forgingoperation are brought to the finished forging. The axle when finishedwill be in the form shown in Fig. 13. When the axles are forged, theyare transferred to the grooves 23 of the rollers 20, whereupon thepiston 36 in the cylinder 35 is operated to release the shafts 38 of thearms 22 from engagement with the finished Power may then be applied todrive axles.

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the rollers 20 in the proper direction, when the axles will be carriedaway and another set of blanks be carried onto the rollers 20.

By the above form of apparatus I provide a machine for the handling offorgings and axles in which the blanks fed thereto are automaticallygrasped, carried, and easily handled. The operator by suitable levermechanism quickly transfers and manages the blanks from the rollers tothe dies and changes the positions of the blanks from one die-groove tothe other, as described.

No claim is made in this application for the method of preparing andhandling the forged blanks by pressing notches or indentations in theends of the blanks during shearing thereof and grasping and centeringthe blanks by such indentations and forging the same to shape when socentered, as the same forms the subject-matter of a separate applicationfor patent filed by me on the 29th day of September, 1899, Serial No.732,014.

What I claim as my invention, and des-ire to secure by Letters Patent,is*

l. In apparatus for'handling forgings, the combination of suitable dieshaving a dieseat adapted to receive the blank, swinging arms adapted toengage the opposite ends of said blan1k,.said arms bei-ng arranged atright angles to said die-seat, and said swinging arms carrying mechanismfor moving said arms horizontally toward each other, substantially asset forth.

2. In apparatus for handling forgings, the combination of suitable dieshaving a dieseat adapted to receive the blank, swinging 'z combinationof suitable dies having a die-seat adapted to receive the blank,swinging arms, frotatable shafts on said arms, projections on @saidshafts adapted to engage indentations at jthef ends of said blank, and aspring on one arms, rotatable shafts in said arms adapted to engage theoppositeend faces of said blank, and mechanism carried by said swingingarms for moving said arms toward each other, substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus-for handling forgings, the

combination of suitable dies having adieseat adapted to receive theblank, swinging' arms adapted to engage the opposite end faces lcombination' of dies having die-seats therein adapted to receive theblanks, one die-seat formed to shape one portion of a blank and theother die-seat formed to shape the oppo ,site portion of another blank,feeding-rollers at each side of said dies, and mechanism for of theblank, and atelescopic shaft carried by said swinging arms for movingsaid arms toward each other, substantially as set forth.

4. Inl apparatus for handling forgings, the

combination of suitable dies having a dieseat adapted to receive theblank, swinging arms adapted to engage the opposite end faces of theblank, a hollow telescopic shaft.

on which said arms are mounted, one section of said shaft having apiston-chamber therein, and the other section having a piston adapted toreciprocate in said chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. In apparatus for handling forgings, the' combination of suitable dieshaving die-seats adapted to-` receive the blanks, one die-seat zi savio6. In apparatus for handling forgings, the combination of suitable dieshaving diefseats adapted to receive the blanks, one die-seat formed toshape one portion of a blank, the other die-seat formed to shape theopposite l portion of another blank, swinging arms adapted to engagetheA ends of said blanks, and mechanism for raising and lowering saidarms, substantially as set forth.

7. In apparatus for handling forgings, the combination of suitable dieshaving a die-seat adapted to receive the blank, swinging arms,

` rotatable shafts on said arms, projections' on said shafts adapted toengage indentationsat the ends of said blank, and mechanism forautomatically turning one of said shafts to cause its projections toregister with the indentations on the blank, substantially' as setforth.

8. In apparatus for handling forgings, the combination of suitable dieshaving a die-seat adapted to receive the blank, swinging arms, rotatableshafts on said arms, projections on said shafts adaptedl to engageindentations at the ends of said blank, and a spring on one 1 ofsaidarms engaging its shaft and ad-apted x to turn same, substantiallyas set forth.

9'. In apparatusv for handling forgings, the' combination of suitabledies having a die-seat adapted to receive the blank, swinging arms,rotatable shafts on said arms, projections on said shafts adapted toengage indentations at Athe ends of said blank, and a spring on one ofsaid arms engaging an oblong lug o-nits' ishaft, substantially as setforth.

10. In apparatus for handling forgings, the

of said arms engaging an oblong lug on its 11. In apparatus for handlingforgings, the

lifting said blanks from said rollers to the dies and from said diesback to said rollers, substantially as set forth.

12. In apparatus for handling forgings, the combination of dies havingdie-seats therein adapted to receive the blanks, one die-seat formed toshape one portion of a blank and the other die-seat formed to shape theopposite portion of another blank, feeding-rollers at each side of saiddies, said feeding-rollers having conical portions, and mechanism forlifting said blanks from said rollers to the dies and from said diesback to said rollers, substantially' as set forth.

13. In apparatus for handling forgings, the

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lcombination of suitable dies having a die-seat hangers being Weighted,substantially as set adapted to receive the blank, a shafb,arms onforth.

said shaft adapted to engage the opposite Itestilnony whereof I, thesaid JOHN LANZ, ends of said blank, mechanism for moving have hereuntoset my hand.

said arms toward each other, swinging rods JOHN LANZ. connected to saidarms, mechanism for rais- Witnesses:

ing and lowering said rods, swinging hangers ROBT. D. TOTTEN,

supporting said shaft, the upper ends of said ROBERT C. TOTTEN.

